


Laura's Recovery

by j_fizzy



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Cancer, Comfort, Cute Ending, F/F, Home, Leukemia, Sappy, haircut, headshave, rough start
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 02:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30115752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_fizzy/pseuds/j_fizzy
Summary: Cancer was always the worst. Carmilla had lived through seeing droves of seamen afflicted with scurvy, young lads and lasses crumbling to the scarlet fever, and poor peasants suffering the cholera outbreak. They were all painful to watch, but at least they all found their cures eventually. And then there was cancer.But she had to be strong for Laura— she had to be prepared for the challenges ahead. Even if it meant helping her bite the bullet.
Relationships: Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Laura's Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> Content Warning: Cancer — a character suffers from cancer/leukemia and undergoes chemo in this. If it makes you queasy, simply click away. However, this will have a good ending with recovery (as suggested by the title), so it's not all doom and gloom. 
> 
> Foreword: This one was part of an art trade of sorts I did with a friend a couple years back, but realised I never exactly published anywhere: so here you go. Starts rough, but gets better towards the end, I promise <3 

Laura trudged down the corridor, numb. The white walls were all a blur of light to her— her soul unfeeling of the chill that echoed through these ghastly rooms. While Carmilla’s tight grip around her gave her a warm yet blunt sensation, the constant voice of reassurance was only a harsh whisper like winds breaking around her. 

At the end of the path sat so many people, though only three were really all that visible in the blur of shock. LaFontaine and Perry were in each other’s arms, sharing a chair with the most worry-stricken faces Laura had ever seen since the upheaval of Silas. Not too far away was Danny, head half-buried into the wall with a paper cup of untouched coffee in her hands. 

Laura drew in a stinging breath, working herself up some meagre amount of courage to be with them. Carmilla rubbed Laura’s back, giving her a nod to try and spur her. Right at the moment Laura came in sight of the other three, it didn’t even take a single word before they all bolted up towards her, rushing up towards her in a jumble of questions and brighter faces. 

“How was it?” 

“What did the doc say?” 

“We’re all here for you” 

It was all a mix here and there— Laura could hardly tell who said what, but it all flowed the same wavelength to her. Laura took a moment to herself, biting back the flow of emotions in her as Carmilla faced her. She gave her a slightly questioning look, wondering if Laura had wanted to transfer this awful job of messenger. 

Laura merely rubbed the palm of Carmilla gently, just as she looked up to face the three that awaited with anxiousness in their open eyes. She sniffled and took her breath. “It’s confirmed to be leukemia.” 

There was a soft, collective gasp that followed, but it was Carmilla that had pulled Laura in close to her. Despite the frost of the scene and the hopefulness that only turned sour, it was burying herself in Carmilla’s arms that only was able to give her the warmth she so desperately craved. 

Laura muffled her waterworks in her lover’s chest as Carmilla steadily stroked through her blonde hair. “It’s gonna be alright cupcake,” Carmilla tried soothing. “Everything’s gonna be just fine. We’ll get through this together,” she continued, biting down hard as her eyes started to well too. 

**

The white paleness of her bathroom wasn’t making things any better— but at least she was finally alone. Laura sat dead silent on the toilet, embracing yet dreading the whispers that pounded through her head. Her mind could only paint a mosaic of bleak images of what would come afterwards- fragmented possibilities and ‘what if’s that she couldn’t reconcile with. 

She sniffled, dabbing away with a crumpled tissue at the dried tears on her cheeks. Of all the trials and tribulations that she had faced— almost being kidnapped by a vampire to be sacrificed; fighting a god-like entity; actually touching the death realm only to be brought back from mercy- this suddenly seemed so much harder. She fiddled with the tissue, ruffling it while trying to distract herself from literally anything that could’ve just popped into her mind. Leukemia. Cancer. Chemo. Dea-

 _Thump thump_. “Cupcake? You alright in there?” 

Laura almost jumped at the faint yet calm voice from behind the door. “Y-yeah.” she tried to squeak out a reply, pushing back the heaviness in her diaphragm. “I’ll be out soon,” she assured, hoping Carmilla would leave her be to settle in the quiet abyss of the bathroom. 

But the door burst open, revealing a cross-armed Carmilla. While stern, her face did still have a sense of care to it— a sort of tough motherliness that she seemed to be picking up. “Well ‘soon’ isn’t very convincing given that you’ve been in here for at least an hour already,” her silvery voice bordered a tone of reprimand. 

Yet all Laura could do was look down onto her legs, aimlessly marking out the spots where her tears had fallen in her head. 

“Aw, cupcake,” Carmilla broke the sternness as she hurried in, lightly scooching Laura to share the small covered seat of the toilet. “It’s all gonna be okay, Hollis. The doctor already said that chemo was the best option. The success rates aren’t all that bad,” she tried repeating the same facts the doctor tried assuring them with. But who was she kidding? 

Cancer was always the worst. Carmilla had lived through seeing droves of seamen afflicted with scurvy, young lads and lasses crumbling to the scarlet fever, and poor peasants suffering the cholera outbreak. They were all painful to watch, but at least they all found their cures eventually. And then there was cancer. 

“I think I’d still prefer to live a life where I wouldn’t have to roll the dice of chemo, Carms,” Laura bitterly replied, channeling her angst to shield the imminent sadness. “After all the awful crap at Silas, I thought I was done with living my life through odds.” 

Carmilla pulled her in closer, giving Laura a peck on the forehead. She had never seen Laura like this before— so angry, so down, so… lost. There was so much she wished she could say to try and make it all better, yet so many words eluded her. Carmilla clenched a fist, resisting the rage that the misery was tempting her with. Hell, if there was someone out there she could’ve just killed that would’ve guaranteed Laura getting better, she would’ve darted out at the first instance.

But she knew Laura wouldn’t want that— even if it meant saving her own life. Yet history has only shown Laura’s devotion the other way. The memory still burnt in her mind- how Laura had ferociously snapped the Silas Charter to completely decimate Vordenberg when Carmilla was just moments away from being executed. She remembered looking up— expecting the hand of death to be delivered, only to receive a blessing from her own mortal angel, Laura. 

“Listen to me, Laura,” Carmilla finally decided to set the tone, turning Laura to face her. “This will not be the end. I’ve seen you fight vampires that could eviscerate you, giant angler fish gods that mind-controlled your friends to madness, and hell,” Carmilla straightened up, keeping her tight gaze with Laura. “You even went against my mother- an actual fucking god that almost razed hell on Earth.” 

Laura kept a low gaze, a blank look still emanating from it. “What I’m trying to say is,” Carmilla continued, “you’ve faced way bigger odds than this. And I know it’s tiring— having to face one life-threatening challenge after another in your life, but I promise you that we’ll get through this together. No matter what happens, I’ll be with you the whole way— through the doctor appointments, through the chemo sessions, through everything.” Carmilla gently ran her fingers through Laura’s hair, tucking the locks behind her delicate ears. “But we need to be strong together, okay?” 

Laura stared back into Carmilla’s eyes, a heavy dread that lingered in her air. Then she bowed her head, gently. “Okay,” she meekly affirmed, taking a moment to sniffle. 

“That’s my cream puff,” Carmilla proudly said, lifting Laura’s hands to give them a kiss. Before she could even say anything else, Laura had let go of Carmilla’s hands and rose. She stepped right in front of the mirror, her hands placed firmly on the sides of the porcelain sink as she peered into the reflection. 

Her eyes darted across the reflection, glancing at every little detail of her face and body that she could see. “How bad is chemo gonna be?” she asked, a hint of worry evident in her tone. Carmilla sighed despondently before she rose. She joined her lover from behind, lightly hugging her from the back. “I mean, I know what the doctor said, but,” Laura paused, embracing the softness of Carmilla behind her before she continued. “I just need someone I trust to say it to me— so I can accept it.” 

Carmilla took calculated breaths to prepare herself, then spoke. “Well, your body’s gonna hurt quite a bit during the process,” she started, taking strategic pauses so as to not overwhelm Laura. “You’ll most likely start feeling nauseous afterwards, which may last quite a while,” Carmilla recited from her memory of the doctor’s appointment. “And then slowly, the hair on your body will start… falling out,” she found that part the hardest to say. Almost instinctively she had raised a hand to Laura’s dark blonde locks, running her hands through the lion mane that her lover so proudly wore every day. 

Laura’s eyes braced for breakdown, struggling to hold herself together. She sniffled hard, then immediately turned to embrace Carmilla wholly. “Thank you,” she mustered herself to say with the realisation of everything hitting her a little more accurately on the nail. 

“Anything for you, cupcake. Anything,” Carmilla reassured, keeping her worried hands in Laura’s tresses as they hugged. She knew it would soon turn into a jarring issue, one that she didn’t know if Laura was going to be ready to face. But now, in that moment, Laura feeling better was all that really mattered. 

They soon retracted, with Laura having a pained look upon her face as her hand rubbed her tummy. “What’s wrong, Creampuff?” Carmilla returned to her worry. 

Laura sniffled. “Can we get something to eat? I’m starving like hell.”

**

“I’m so proud of you, cupcake,” Carmilla praised Laura, rubbing her hand with a thumb as they ambled down the street in the spring sun. 

“Thanks, Carms,” she weakly replied though with a slight vigour to it, clearly still suffering from the aftereffects of the chemo session. “It always hurts like hell, but it hurts less when you’re there with me.”

Carmilla couldn’t help but smile. “I promised you I’d be there the whole way through no matter what,” she reassured, combing through Laura’s locks. 

“And I really appreciate it,” Laura thanked, her eyelids lowering as she enjoyed the physical attention from her lover. 

Carmilla sighed in relief. Those first few weeks of coming to terms with the news were by far the toughest. There was this sense of angst coupled with melancholy that seemed to have enveloped Laura during that time, in which it was awfully hard to even try and make her happy. She left a lot of her food barely touched, stayed in bed a little too long on a lot of days— and she even skipped work a few times just to be by herself at home. 

But now, things were better. Whether the chemotherapy was truly going to cure her was a worry for another time, because now, in that moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

Then she let out a rather silent gasp when she felt it. She had rather abruptly stopped combing through Laura’s golden mane, though she tried to keep it natural as they continued their walk home. Without turning her head, Carmilla glanced to her left hand that now held a hefty bit of dark blonde locks, loose from the scalp. “Shit,” she inaudibly whispered, now almost panicking to make sure Laura didn’t see. 

Before Laura could realise anything, Carmilla hastily transferred the bundle of locks to her other hand and stuffed it in the back pocket of her jeans. She quickly resumed running her hands through Laura’s hair, albeit at a slower pace to make sure she didn’t grasp at any locks that had fallen off. 

“What do you wanna have for dinner tonight?” Carmilla asked, attempting to distract her. 

Laura made a slightly guttural sound in thought. “Don’t _really_ feel like going anywhere. Could we just order pizza and watch a movie or something tonight?” she requested.

“Definitely!” Carmilla half-exclaimed, which Laura responded with a raised eyebrow. “Ah, home already,” she announced just as they reached the apartment building. 

They took the elevator up, which Carmilla insisted on to make sure Laura wouldn’t excessively tire herself out. They walked down towards the end of the corridor where their apartment was. 

Laura walked up in front first, fumbling through her purse. She ended her search in dismay. “Ah, nuts,” Laura sighed. “Forgot to bring my keys. Please tell me you brought yours Carms.” 

“Always do, sweetheart,” Carmilla confidently said as she fished out the keyring from her front pocket. She bent forward as she picked out the key, slotting it into the lock. Just as she turned the lock, she realised the gravest error she just made. 

“Carms?” Laura called out in a voice of worry Carmilla hadn’t heard for quite some time. “Why is blonde hair sticking out of your back pocket?” she questioned.

“Dammit,” Carmilla whispered to herself, her heart sinking as her concealment plan did. She straightened up as she pushed the door open, then turned. “I-it’s nothing, really. It’s just-” 

“Wait, Carms,” Laura interjected as to Carmilla’s horror she had already plucked out the locks of blond hair, which Laura was now examining closely. “Is this… _my_ hair?” there was a sort of terror that was embedded in her realisation. 

Carmilla sighed. “Yes,” she confessed. “But, it only just happened just now- when I was running my hands through your hair.” Carmilla stood in anticipation, watching Laura as her gaze remained locked on her own severed hair that she held in her hands. “I just didn’t want you to panic, or anything, y’know?” Carmilla tried reasoning her way. 

Laura gently ran a thumb through the locks she held, attempting to come to terms with the reality she now clenched. “I-it’s okay,” she meekly tried to assure Carmilla. “I just-” she now looked up at Carmilla, noticing her anticipation of what she might do. “I’m gonna take a shower,” she concluded before butting into the apartment. 

Her strides were determined, aiming straight for the bathroom after absentmindedly tossing her purse on the couch. Just as Carmilla was able to trail in and lock the house door, Laura had already closed the toilet door behind her, a little too loudly. Carmilla scurried to the toilet door, pressing her ear to the hardwood. She paid attention, her vampiric hearing allowing her to listen to almost every little movement that went inside. 

*

Laura’s eyes were plastered on the mirror, staring right at her scalp where her dark blonde hair grew from— and now, fell from. She gently set down the few locks she had been holding onto from the corridor into the sink. Her body felt heavy, gasping as she fought the waves of nausea that were creeping into her. 

Trying to steady herself, her hands then anxiously reached into her scalp, the fingertips gradually scanning through the roots for any more poor victims. 

A sigh of relief escaped her gently when she could only find a few strands loose from the scalp. “That’s not bad, that’s not bad,” she was constantly telling herself, calming herself down. “I just need to wash and shampoo my hair. That’s all.” She began undressing, muttering reassurances to herself as relief slowly filled her soul.

She stepped into the shower, turning on the water as she tried to treat it all like a normal daily routine. Simple rubs of body wash over her skin, a good amount of facial scrub to keep her face clean and pure, and a generous amount of shampoo for her gorgeous mane that was gonna be okay. 

*

Carmilla sat patiently outside the door, slightly relieved by the gushing water sounds and the lack of sobbing or sniffles from inside the bathroom. She had her phone out, ordering pizza through an online app as she waited for Laura to finish her shower. That little scene at the corridor had almost gone pear-shaped, and while Carmilla should’ve felt more relieved, she never knew when the time to worry might come. She still didn’t know how she could be so careless with the locks of Laura’s hair in her back pocket. 

She gritted her teeth. Through all the panic that may transpire, she knew she was merely delaying the inevitable. While she may have made the preparations for it, she didn’t know if Laura was going to be anywhere close to being ready for it. Nevertheless, extremes were most likely going to be relied on, and Carmilla braced herself for them. The suspense of it was just a series of needle pricks, only getting more numerous and unsettling as time passed. She knew the inevitable would come soon, and perhaps the sooner the better. 

For the first time in a long while, she heard Laura exclaiming an expletive, which only alarmed Carmilla even more. She instinctively barged into the bathroom to see a stunned Laura, staring at the floor of the cubicle as the water continued running from the showered. Carmilla’s sight passed over her beautifully nude lover to the floor, where she saw dark blonde streaks that she knew weren’t supposed to be there. 

Laura was held transfixed, not moving an inch apart from her frantic breathing since Carmilla entered. Carmilla got into the shower, turning off the water before turning to her lover. She held Laura by her drenched shoulders, looking right into her widened eyes. “Laura,” she started, wondering how she was to try and perhaps break things to her. “Things like this happen with chemo. It’s only normal, okay?” 

Laura was frozen, her gaze casually moving back down to the floor. “M-my hair…” she muttered meekly. “It’s f-falling off,” she uttered like a lost child. 

“Yes, Laura,” Carmilla approached it head-on. “It’s falling off. And it’s only going to get worse,” she kept hitting the nail on its head. The inevitable was coming soon, and perhaps it was only going to help them if she hurried its arrival. 

“S-so, I’m going to be…” Laura was coming to terms, fathoming the reality to come. She now looked up to Carmilla, a mix of curiosity and terror in her pupils. “Bald?” 

Carmilla knew there was no other way around it. “Yes, Creampuff. Bald.” She couldn’t help but to comb through Laura’s glorious mane that was only going to suffer even more as time went on. There were so many nights she remembered brushing through those glorious tresses, a magnificent beauty that she beheld every time without fail. There was always something about it that really gave Laura the bright spark in her— the splendid shimmer to the great dawn that she was.

“Come on, cupcake. Let’s get you dried up,” Carmilla invited, gently pulling her out of the shower. She grabbed a towel and helped to dry up the still-frozen Laura, something she was no stranger to on days when Laura was feeling extra sappy to want her lover to do things for her. Upon reaching her head, Carmilla took caution in drying out the tresses of hair, hoping no more was to come off. She wrapped Laura up nicely in the towel before pulling her in close, giving a peck on Laura’s forehead. 

“D-does this mean,” Laura began talking, holding Carmilla tightly in her arms. “Does this mean it’s best if I just— shave it all off?” 

Carmilla was stunned— a slightly genuine shock that rippled through her. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be so hard to reach the inevitable. “Well,” she steadied her tone, “it’s certainly the fastest way to get it over with, in my opinion.”

There was a silence in the air aside from little drops of water here and there. Laura’s face was blank in rationalisation, thinking it all through. “I’m gonna look awful, Carms,” she finally concluded. 

“No!” Carmilla protested. “Hollis, you are not going to look awful at _all_.”

Laura sniffled, a sound Carmilla hoped she didn’t have to hear. “My hair’s always been with me, Carms. Without it, I’m just…” 

“Even without it, you’re still going to be beautiful, okay?” Carmilla raised Laura’s chin with her fingers. “As much as I really do love your hair, you will still be beautiful without it. Don’t ever think for a second that you’re going to be any less beautiful without your hair, alright?” There was an air of command yet grace to how she conducted her speech. 

Laura only pulled Carmilla in tighter, muffling her sobs in Carmilla’s shoulders. “God, what will people think of me? Some stupid, bald girl walking around,” she let out, trying not to tear up. 

“To hell with people, alright? They can think whatever they want, but I still think that you are and will always be beautiful no matter what,” she declared resolutely. “But don’t worry. Even if you’re too scared to go do it someplace, I can always be the one to do it for you.”

Laura stopped her sobbing, pausing to rethink what she heard. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that…” Carmilla braced to share her plans. “Ever since the day I found out, I already began starting to plan out how to face this. Meaning that…” she trailed on even more, desperately trying to hit the nail on this. “I’m prepared to shave your head, if you want me to.” 

Laura slowly retracted, sniffling and wiping her tear-marked face with the hem of her towel. “Y-you’d do that? For me?” 

“Absolutely,” Carmilla was now determined. “I’ll try my best to make it as proper as a barber would. But only if you want me to, okay?” 

Laura’s eyes were searching her lover’s face, registering the seriousness in her proposal. Somehow it all seemed true, and now it was all up to Laura if she wanted to rip the band-aid off right there and then. “D-do we have alcohol?” she asked. 

Carmilla raised a brow. “Laura Hollis? Alcohol?” she tried to lighten the mood with a smile. 

Laura managed to shoot Carmilla a squinty look. “With what I’m about to decide, I feel it best if I was slightly... inebriated, through the process,” her cute and proper speech returned to her as she firmly held Carmilla by the hands. “Carmilla, I want you to shave my head.” 

*

Laura sat uneasily at the dining table, her fingers drumming heavily on the table with her other hand plastered on her chin. The Hawaiian pizza on the table was getting cold, yet only a couple slices had been taken off of it, with a barely touched slice sitting sadly in Laura’s plate. Her wine glass, however, was almost empty- though it wasn’t her first glass of Pinot Noir. 

She anxiously eyed the bedroom door that remained close, taking a swig from her glass. Alcohol was never a good friend of Laura— she never did agree with its taste, price, or after effects. Yet today it formed a convenient alliance that was necessary for her to get through. “Urgh, what’s taking Carms so long,” she muttered to herself. She casually picked up the wine bottle and poured into her glass. The rich red liquid flowed in and filled- but only till halfway before the bottle was rendered empty. “Crap, did I really drink that much?” 

She shook the bottle upside down, trying to savour those last few drops left inside. The moment she heard the door squeak, she immediately set the bottle down and turned. 

There Carmilla stood, sexily confident as always by the door— but this time a little out of her usual costume. She was adorned with a long-sleeved white blouse with a black bow, and a black A-line skirt. She looked on with serious eyes, sparing a gentle smile at Laura. 

“Ms Hollis?” she called out to her lover, an air of somewhat sternness evident.

“Y-yes,” Laura put down her wine glass, transfixed at the stunning woman before her. 

“Please, come in. You’re up next,” Carmilla instructed as she held the door.

Laura instinctively got up to her feet, somewhat afraid to disobey or dally. She treaded towards the room, sparing a glance at Carmilla as she entered. Her mouth went agape as she took in the set-up; a sturdy roller chair that sat right in front of the mirror, a huge canvas below the chair, and a dresser full of tools and equipment for haircutting. 

“Pretty neat, don’t you think?” Carmilla asked as she closed the door. “LaF provided me with most of the equipment. I wasn’t too surprised finding out that they maintained their undercut by themself.” 

“Well, this is…” Laura was trying to find the words as she ambled towards the chair. “Impressive.” 

“Well I just thought that if I had to cut your hair, I might as well have a little fun with it, don’t ya think?” Carmilla stated proudly. 

“You’ve done a nice job with all this, honestly,” Laura complimented as she took in the sights. “A pretty darn good home-barbershop sort of thing going on here.” 

Carmilla couldn’t help but blush, chuckling in pride. “Anyway,” she snapped back into a serious tone. “Please have a seat, Ms Hollis,” Carmilla instructed as she did her final preparations. 

Laura paused, then headed back towards the chair, lowering herself into the comfortable cushion. She remembered the first time she bought the chair just for her desk- never did she expect it to be used as a barber chair for her own shearing. Laura adjusted herself, straightening so she could see herself in the mirror. 

She saw those dark blonde locks that grew out of her scalp gracefully, a sight she wasn’t going to see for much longer. “Gosh, am I doing the right thing?” her heart pounded with doubt. Even though she was slightly ‘inebriated’, there were definitely demons running around inside her that only sowed seeds of worry within. 

Carmilla took her position behind the chair, now with a white cape slung across her forearm. Laura watched through the mirror as Carmilla straightened out the cape, then flung it above her body. They settled on Laura’s shoulders, draping a considerable amount of Laura’s petite body till she could barely see her feet. “That’s a huge cape, Carms,” Laura rattled off, trying to use conversation to allay her fears. 

“Well, I need to make sure hair doesn’t get all over your body, Ms Hollis,” Carmilla maintained her demeanor as she straightened out the creases and clipped the ends of the cape together. 

Laura drew a deep breath, trying her darndest to calm herself as the reality was truly about to hit her now. The image of her being tied down under the cape seemed to only seal her fate, and all the alcohol she took didn’t seem to be helping her too much. 

“Are you ready, Ms Hollis?” Carmilla questioned, giving a gently commanding look to Laura through the mirror. 

In truth she did not exactly know the true answer to the question. Nonetheless, she steadied herself, fortifying her will as she worked up her voice. “Yes.”

“Splendid,” Carmilla remarked before heading to the dresser filled with equipment. She picked up a pair of steel scissors and a comb, deciding to start small to help Laura through the motions. She made her way to the back of the chair, where she began combing Laura’s blonde locks back. “We’ll start with the ponytail, alright? No need to rush through it all,” she told Laura. 

“Okay,” Laura half-sighed, glad she was going to at least still see her hair on her head for a while longer. Laura felt as her locks were tugged gently and pulled back into a ponytail, probably for the last time in a while. She felt the solid grip around hair as it was bundled up, then secured with a band. 

Carmilla readied herself, opening and closing the scissors to test them out. In all her years as a vampire, this was surprisingly the first time she’s ever had to wield a pair of scissors to cut someone’s hair. She took a deep breath, her other hand firmly grabbing onto the ponytail. “Here we go,” she announced as she dug in. 

The scissors were met with resistance, lightly hacking away at thick dark blonde hair it faced. Carmilla was steady— making slow snips at a time. Laura’s heart pounded as each snip tugged and tugged, gradually severing off the dark blonde mane she so faithfully loved and took care of each day. As each tug went by, it felt like her head was only getting lighter, with wisps of her hair starting to appear by her cheeks. 

Shnick. Laura’s eyes were shut, controlling her breaths. Shnick. What lasted about a minute definitely felt like an eon to Laura. Shnick. God, can’t it all be over already?

Shnnnick! 

Laura was lightheaded. She opened her damp eyes with a gasp to see someone else in that mirror- it didn’t seem like the same Laura, not with that rough blonde bob. Right behind her was Carmilla, holding a ponytail of dark blonde hair like a trophy. “That’s one obstacle down,” Carmilla announced as she lay it down nicely on the dresser. She gave a peck on Laura’s forehead, ruffling her rough bob. “I’m so proud of you, cupcake,” she complimented. “When your hair starts growing out after all this, you definitely need to get a proper bob. I’m sure you’d look absolutely stunning.”

Laura’s cheeks coloured as she stared into Carmilla’s face; beautiful, persistent Carmilla that had always watched over her and done so much just for her. “I’m looking forward to that,” she uttered with a hopeful tone, knowing that with Carmilla, perhaps everything was going to be alright. 

“Let’s keep the train in motion, shall we?” Carmilla suggested before turning back to the dresser. She picked up perhaps the scariest-looking equipment to Laura that was going to truly start it all— the clippers. While she’d only seen it in movies or shows, she knew darn well what they could do— how much damage it could really cause.

Carmilla fixed the plug at the end of the cord into the socket, then went back to examining it. “LaF didn’t _exactly_ tell me how to operate this, though they said once you start it becomes quite straightforward,” Carmilla mused, taking a glance at the blonde that sat nervously in the chair. 

“It looks terrifying,” Laura admitted, her eyes watching the chrome, black machine warily. 

“Don’t worry, Creampuff. It won’t hurt you, I promise,” Carmilla reassured, giving her lover a gentle smile in return. Laura could only give a fake smile in return, trying her best to muster her courage for what truly was to come next. 

Carmilla took her position behind Laura, carefully running her fingers through Laura’s locks with her free hand while the other was armed. “Do you want me to start at the back? Or do you wanna just take this head-on at the front?” Carmilla asked, looking at Laura through the mirror. 

“Err,” Laura pondered, unsure of how to approach her fate. “Could we… start at the back first? I’m still a little…” 

“Of course, cupcake,” Carmilla cut in, ruffling the blonde girl’s rough bob. 

She peered over at the clippers in hand, its bare steel teeth staring viciously. Carmilla’s thumb fiddled on the device, ambling its way towards the little switch that sat deftly on the middle of the body. She now held the reins, and despite her upfront demeanour and character all this while, she was truly terrified. 

No matter how much she tried to mentally prepare for the day and the moment to come, she knew she’d never be fully okay with it. It was a crime— to have to strip her lover of her glorious mane. “It’ll grow back eventually” she’d always tell herself, but it still didn’t make having to take away such a huge part of Laura okay at all. 

“You okay?” Laura realised the sudden silence, her voice now ironically taking the more caring and worried tone.

“Y-yeah,” Carmilla shook herself, snapping out of her thoughts. It wouldn’t do her much to stay in them- she knew she couldn’t make Laura stay worried for her. She had to be strong for Laura.

She heaved a deep breath, then flicked the switch. _POP_ . _Hummm_. It droned through the cozy room, a ceaseless humming that would only herald a change. “You ready, Creampuff?” Carmilla asked as she began running her hands through the back of Laura’s head of hair. 

Laura eyed the device in her lover’s hand, pulling herself together- then nodded. Carmilla gently pushed her lover’s head down, making her face the white cloth that draped her below. Softly, she placed the buzzing clippers on the neck of the blonde girl, who couldn’t but gasp at its arrival. “Here we go, Laura,” Carmilla announced, moving it up. 

The blonde girl gripped the armrest of the chair as the device went up her head. Her insides began tying themselves into knots- a nervousness that seeped into her. She couldn’t really explain it- how it felt vibrating against her head. There was an odd warmth that came from the clippers as it went up her nape, where she could feel the blades chewing through her hair. Yet, it somehow didn’t at all feel uncomfortable. 

Carmilla carefully lifted the clippers up at the end of the first pass she made with it, watching the dark blonde locks drift down onto the floor. She looked back at Laura’s nape and wasn’t surprised to see a rather clean path of skin that went up to just above the occipital bone. She couldn’t help but to touch it— curious to know what it felt like. 

“Ooh,” Laura let out as Carmilla’s fingers found the stubbly pale skin that the clippers left behind. “That’s so cold.” 

Carmilla grinned. “It’s only gonna get colder, cupcake,” she teased right before she repositioned the clippers. 

She moved the humming clippers back up, taking firm but careful strides up the back of Laura’s head. Being rather blind to the process, Laura was left to her other senses. It struck as a cycle again and again; how she’d be greeted by the warm, buzzing clippers on her skin as it went up. Just as her hair leaves, a cold gush of air just wafts through the exposed skin— a feeling she quite frankly didn’t hate. 

While she couldn’t see her hair falling, she could feel how gradually light her head was becoming— how her locks slowly unburdened her petite head and frame as time went on. Carmilla was gentle with something so menacing, and somehow Laura couldn’t fight the comfort she felt as it all happened.

The clippers then came to a silent halt, and Laura opened her eyes- suddenly realising they were closed the whole time. She looked in the mirror, but couldn’t exactly see a difference in her- only a wonder-eyed Carmilla that stared longingly at the back of Laura’s head. Laura gasped, feeling those fingernails icily grazing the now-bare skin she had. 

“Do you want to feel it?” the black-haired girl asked with an eager look on her face. 

“Sure,” Laura agreed, taking a hand out from under the cape. Carefully, her hand went to the back of her head, curious to feel what her lover felt. A ‘whoa’ airily escaped Laura’s mouth, feeling the stubbly skin that was actually on her head. There was a double sensation to it— how the tiniest pricks felt in her hand, and how her cool, soft fingertips just tickled the scalp of the nape. “That’s… so weird,” Laura fathomed. “But… not like in a bad way, or anything,” she added. 

“That’s good to hear,” Carmilla said with relief, just as Laura fitted her hand back under the cape. “You ready to keep going?” 

“Mhm,” Laura nodded. “But, you can- uh,” she added, somewhat surprised that she wanted to say this. “Continue from the front, if you want.” 

Carmilla was taken aback at the confidence. Not long ago she thought this was all going to be tough for either of them, yet it seemed to somehow get easier. She shrugged, flicking the switch of the clippers back on. “If you say so, cupcake.”

They hummed back to life, the warmth of the buzzing returning to her cold hands. She stepped to Laura’s side, getting in position as her free hand began stroking through the blonde girl’s locks that still sat atop her head, parted roughly around the centre. The teeth of the clippers were placed right before the hairline on Laura’s forehead, sending reverberating chills down her skull. 

Laura’s heart thumped, watching through the mirror as the vicious machine was held right there before her scalp. But this time, her hands loosened on the armrests. Worried as she was of what was to come next, she was still curious. 

Carmilla spared a glance at her lover through the mirror. “No turning back, sweetheart,” she warned, to which Laura merely quirked up a soft smile in return. 

With a hand on the back of the blonde girl’s head, Carmilla brought the clippers into the hairline. They roared a little louder as the blades met resistance, slowly mowing the blonde locks off Laura’s scalp.

Laura watched as a clear path formed in the middle of her head, the first sight of clear skin she got this entire time, and her mouth couldn't help but open. At the end of the first pass, Carmilla gently pushed off the loose hair which unceremoniously fell forward onto the cape. 

The blonde girl’s eyes immediately darted to the cape that draped her, noticing that huge lock of dark blonde that was just on her head a few moments ago now sitting lifelessly on her lap. Carmilla pulled back for a moment, letting the both of them inspect the round of damage done. 

“Whoa,” came out of Laura’s mouth as she bent her head forward slightly, staring at the white path that ran through her field of blonde locks. 

“I think the reverse Mohawk suits you- wanna leave it like that?” Carmilla teased.

“Carms!” Laura shot back, and Carmilla could only laugh at how comical she looked with that state her hair was in. “I think I’d look worse like this than bald.”

“You sure?” Carmilla asked as she casually stroked a fingernail through the path of skin. 

Laura gasped. “God, that tickles so much,” the blonde expressed, her eyes slightly shut in feeling. “I can't even imagine having an entire head of just skin feeling like that.” 

“Well, we’ll see soon enough,” Carmilla announced, returning to her work at hand. 

As Carmilla started on her next pass of the clippers across the blonde girl’s head, Laura couldn't help but be mesmerised. 

She watched with anticipation as the clippers did their ferocious work— shaving through her luscious locks to leave behind nothing but pale skin. With every pass made, Laura could feel an odd nudge in her heart as she watched the locks fall forward, slowly letting go of parts of her. But it wasn't all scary. As menacing as the clippers were, Laura couldn't help but embrace the warmth it brought to her scalp. There was a peculiar comfort to it— how the thing that destroyed somehow eased her as well. 

It seemed like an eternity, though in reality it didn't take long for Laura’s crown to be devoid of hair save for some stubborn parts of stubble. Carmilla didn't take much time to pause— she moved the clippers straight to the right side of Laura to continue her job. This time there were locks falling on her shoulder, the dark blonde a stark sight against the white of the cloth Laura was under. 

As her shoulder got heavier with her shorn hair, her head only felt lighter and lighter. There was a certain determination to Carmilla she couldn't help but admire- black-haired, stern Carmilla with her very attractive outfit that Laura really couldn't resist. 

“Carms?” Laura interrupted her with a curious tone, looking at her through the mirror now.

“Yes, cupcake?” the vampire stopped to look at the blonde girl as she turned off the clippers immediately. “Are you alright? Am I going a little too fast?” She bit her lip, realising she had been in an undisturbed frenzy. 

“No, no, it's fine! Just- uhm,” Laura’s cheeks were colouring, clearly embarrassed to ask her question, especially in the state she was in. “Could you… wear this outfit to bed later?” she asked with her puppy eyes.

Carmilla chortled. She rubbed the bare portion of Laura’s scalp with a thumb, a warm smile playing on the vampire’s face. “Of course I will, babe,” she assured in a ‘did you even have to ask’ sort of tone.

Laura smiled like a little girl in reply, returning her gaze back to herself in the mirror to signal she was ready to continue. With a flick the clippers hummed back to life, and Carmilla returned to her work. 

And so the cut continued, with Carmilla methodically propelling the clippers. It was quite a wonder for Laura to behold. She maneuvered the clippers over to Laura’s left side with Laura now slowly registering what her bald look was to look like as each bit of her blonde hair was stripped away. It was terrifying— almost like having her scalp slowly being uncovered to reveal the egg of a head she felt she had. But she was relieved— this was arguably one of the hardest parts of chemo, and she was facing it head-on. 

Laura gently shut her eyes, holding a few drops of tears that welled up. She had the best person in her life helping her through it all. It was as if there was nothing more she could've truly asked for in life— her heart swelled just having her lover shave her head. The toughest part of her journey was eased with the most beautiful girl, and in that golden moment, everything was perfect. 

Soon enough, Carmilla had come to the final stages of the cut. All the long locks and strands no longer crowded Laura’s head- and were now all either on the sheet on the floor or on the cape that enveloped the now-bald girl. She gave some of the final touches— running the clippers all over Laura’s head to clear off any little patches she missed. Once satisfied, she turned the clippers off. 

When Laura heard the silence that ensued, she slowly opened her eyes. She could see it now- the little egg of a head that popped out of the white cape. Carmilla set down the clippers before she casually ran a hand on Laura’s head. 

“Wow,” Laura gasped, embracing the vampire’s chilly hand on her head. “I can’t even explain how that feels.” 

Carmilla chuckled. “Do you like it?” she asked cautiously, now placing both hands on her lover’s shoulder as she looked at her through the mirror. 

Laura turned her head from side to side, warily exploring her now-clear head. Carefully, she took both hands out from under the cape, venturing upwards. Her fingers found her bald head, cool to the touch though still a little rough with its microscopic stubble. Her hands scoured as she peered right at herself through the mirror. The warm, soft skin of her hands gently grazed and massaged, an odd yet irresistible feeling that somehow started to seep into her. 

“It’ll definitely take getting used to,” she finally spoke, using a finger to dab the remnants of tears that almost leaked out earlier. “But yeah, it’s... nice.” 

Carmilla beamed. The vampire sprung from behind, hugging her seated lover tightly with their heads side-by-side. “You’re still my beautiful angel, Laura Hollis, and you always will be,” she reassured, the both of them now smiling from ear to ear. She gave her a huge kiss on her pale crown, making Laura blush as she saw her bald head being loved. 

With a black neck brush, the vampire began dusting off Laura’s head with its little bristles. Laura couldn’t suppress a giggle as she felt herself being tickled by it while it swept away the stray hairs off her head and neck. “Now, why don’t you go take a shower,” Carmilla said as she undid the cape, loosening it from Laura’s neck and gracefully swooshing it off her to send heaps of her dark blonde locks to the floor. “While I clean all this up, okay?”

Laura made an “mhm” with a nod, though she paused to take in her full image in the mirror now. A hand shot to her head. It was a touch she couldn’t exactly resist for some reason. She carefully looked down on the sheet that covered the floor, which was now littered with almost mounds of dark blonde hair that was on her head not too long ago. But this time- she wasn’t so shocked to see it all off. This time, she had chosen to lose them, and in due time she shall work her way through being confident about it.

“Would you like to keep your hair?” Carmilla suggested. 

Laura continued looking down, pondering. “Maybe just a few locks- so that I can remember I’m a blonde now that I’m bald. You can throw the rest away,” Laura agreed.

“Alright, cupcake,” the black-haired girl replied. “Oh, wait, before you get in the shower-” Carmilla trailed off, darting to the closet that stood behind them in the room. Laura turned with an eyebrow raised to see her lover fumbling through the wooden drawers, then pulling out something small and black. 

Carmilla walked eagerly to Laura with the article in hand, a slightly nervous look strewn on the vampire’s face. “LaF, Perry and Danny sort of had the idea for this when I told them that you were most likely going to have to shave your head,” Carmilla started as she handed it to Laura, who accepted it with both hands. “The sewing, however, was my idea.”

Laura held the black beanie in her hands, embracing the soft touch of it. She turned it around, couldn’t help but let out an “oh my god”. Sewn in white thread on the front of the little cap- “Creampuff”. “I love it!” She exclaimed, turning around to try and face the mirror before she put it on. It fit like a glove on her head, though she still shivered at how snug the cloth hugged her bare skin. “You’re the best, Carms.” 

“I’m glad you like it,” Carmilla said. “It’ll help to cover up when you’re still getting used to the look. But between you and me,” she continued, bending down towards Laura’s ear as she lowered her voice down to a whisper. “I think you look really sexy with a bald head.” 

She pecked at Laura’s ear, casually lashing a tongue out which made Laura almost jump with a gasp. Laura always loved how Carmilla would spring on her unexpectedly, and she’d usually be stunned while she was left at the mercy of her sinister vampire. Carmilla knew darn well how to push Laura’s buttons, and Laura surrendered willingly every time. 

But perhaps for today, Laura wanted to turn the tables. The black-haired girl had taken her time, slowly kissing Laura’s bare temples.The bald girl gently placed a hand on Carmilla’s cheek, tracing her graceful contours downward as Laura turned to look at her grace. “I’m going to take a shower. By the time I’m done, Ms Karnstein, I expect you to be in bed in this exact attire, ” Laura instructed, her eyes dead set on the vampire. 

Carmilla froze, her unbeating pulse reverberating in a stunned silence. She blinked, registering that moment of tension as she steadied her breath. She stared back into Laura’s brown eyes that somehow stood out so commandingly, with her fiercely bare scalp that stressed a completely no-nonsense attitude. 

“Understood?” Laura prompted, her eyebrow now quirking up in impatience. 

“Y-yes,” Carmilla found herself replying meekly, confused as to how the dynamics were shifting so suddenly. 

“Good, Ms Karnstein. I wouldn’t like to be kept waiting,” Laura reminded sternly before she got up and marched into the shower.

*

The corridor never seemed so bright to Laura. She was still absolutely lightheaded from everything that just transpired- the blurry months went by like a grey ocean only to give such a bliss out of nowhere.

Carmilla was as always right beside her, an arm clutched snugly around the other girl’s waist while she beamed, eyes still watery as she sniffed. “You did it, Creampuff.”

“No, Carms,” Laura turned to look up at her lover fiercely. “ _We_ did it. I absolutely could _not_ have done this without you. You’re my fucking hero.” 

The two got into the tightest embrace they’ve ever felt in forever, revelling in their victory. After gruelling and excruciating months of treatment, their wish came true- Laura was free of leukemia. From the terrible fate of watching her hair fall off to enduring the chemo sessions, it was all worth it. 

In all her decades and centuries as a vampire, Carmilla had never felt such comforting light and joy from such news. For what seemed like the bleakest memories of her immortal existence, they triumphed together. 

Laura retracted, sobering from the intoxicatingly splendid news as the dazzling lights of the hospital corridor got clearer. “I don’t…. I don’t even know what to say, or what to do- it’s just all so, so much right now.” 

“It’s alright, Creampuff, take your time,” the vampire stroked her lover’s cheek with the back of her hand, giving her forehead a peck. “Everything’s alright now, that’s what matters.” 

Laura sunk into the waiting chair by the corridor, heaving the greatest sigh of relief Carmilla had ever heard. Carmilla sat beside her lover, her hand instinctively going up to the blonde girl’s stubbly head of hair. Laura’s eyes relaxed as her lover gave her a soothing head scratch, a little treat Carmilla had been giving her once in a while to help her through the acceptance of having almost no hair from chemo. 

“We should celebrate, Creampuff,” Carmilla suggested. “This is the biggest victory of all, and maybe we should go out with a bang. We can go call LaF and Perry and Dani and we can have the night of our lives.” 

“Celebrate… yeah,” Laura quietly agreed, still lightheaded. “But maybe not with them... yet.” Carmilla shot a confused look. “I mean, yeah, they deserve to know and they deserve to celebrate with us. But… I was thinking- I dunno, maybe today we can just keep it with you and me? Just our little celebration together?” Laura said. 

“That’s alright with me,” Carmilla smiled back. “But what do you wanna do?”  
  
“Surprise me, Carms,” Laura leaned back onto the wall, her eyes lightly shut. “Right now I don’t wanna think— I just wanna feel.” Carmilla chuckled, giving her lover a peck on the cheek. 

Carmilla continued scratching as she thought of plans for their celebration, her fingernails carefully providing the littlest of massages through the tiny pricks of hair that still stood and survived the test of chemo. It had been a gruelling series of months since the first time Carmilla shaved her lover’s head, and from then on she helped to keep it shaved about once every week or so whenever it got uneven or patchy from the hair falling off. And then it struck her. 

“You up for a pretty wild surprise, Creampuff?” 

*

For all the centuries she’s lived as a vampire, she had to admit that this was going to be her first time setting foot in such a place. Laura followed Carmilla eagerly, clearly clueless to where they were headed and for whatever occasion. Carmilla stopped right outside the destination, pausing to take it all in with her lover.

“Here we are, Creampuff,” Carmilla announced. “You ever been to one of these before?”  
  
Laura shook her head. “But… what’re we doing here?”  
  
“I was just thinking, y’know… maybe you can celebrate by starting fresh,” Carmilla reached up to rub a hand on her lover’s stubbly head. “And I guess it’s the best excuse for you to ever set foot in a barbershop.” 

Laura’s hand instinctively went to her head, feeling the little patchy stubbles here and there as she inspected the inside. It was a simple two-chair barbershop, though it had a slightly more modern look to it with its sleek black interior and chrome apparel. It was one of those gender neutral barbershops she had seen here and there, though it did try to keep the traditional aesthetic of it. 

“I know it might seem a bit too wild, but I thought it would be fun, y’know?” Carmilla encouraged. “But it’s completely alright if you don’t wanna. It was really just a random tho-”

“No no- I think it’s a great idea,” Laura stopped Carmilla. “Yeah… It would be pretty fun to get my head professionally shaved. Probably something to cross off the bucket list.” 

Carmilla smiled back at her lover, thankful her idea was taken well. “Well, let’s get you cleaned up, Ms Hollis,” Carmilla playfully ordered, giving her lover those impish eyes as the two entered hand-in-hand. 

A tiny bell rung as the door opened, attracting the attention of a middle-aged woman that appeared from the back room, donned in grey overalls with a black shirt on top. “Good afternoon, ladies,” she greeted cheerily. 

“Hello,” the two said almost in unison. 

“So who’s getting their hair done today?” she asked, patting the back of the barber chair that was further from the door.

“I am!” Laura proudly announced. She turned to give her lover one last smile as she dropped her purse by the waiting bench before walking towards the chair. 

“This brave girl just got news earlier today that she beat leukemia,” Carmilla added, wanting to mark the occasion a little more excitedly.

“Oh my, well congratulations!” the barberette exclaimed, shaking Laura’s hand as the blonde girl blushed.

“Thank you,” Laura said before she slowly lowered herself into the chair. “I wanted to celebrate by getting a fresh start, y’know- start over with a clean slate and all.” 

“Clean shaven with the razor and all?” the barberette looked a little surprised. Laura nodded, smiling confidently. “I can do that for you.” 

Without much delay the barberette had majestically flung a classic black-white striped cape above Laura, letting the cloth settle before snugly clipping it behind her neck. “Oh- where are my manners? I’m Olivia, by the way,” she introduced herself as she tore a piece of neck tissue to wrap around the blonde’s head. 

“Laura. And that’s Carmilla. It’s nice to meet you,” Laura introduced. 

“Great to meet you two as well. Y’know Carmilla you can have a front row seat if you’d like,” Olivia gestured to the empty barber chair after noticing the vampire was awkwardly standing around the waiting area. 

“Oh, y-you don’t mind?”

“Go ahead- it’s just me in the shop today, no one’s gonna be taking that spot anytime soon.” 

With a careful look Carmilla timidly took her seat, swiveling it a little to the left so she could face Laura, who was still all smiles as she awaited her barberette. Olivia soon took her position behind the chair with a pair of maroon clippers and a little neck brush. She flicked the switch with a pop, followed by the low humming soon the two girls weren’t very familiar with. 

“You ready Laura?” Olivia asked a final time. 

“Yes,” she was confident. 

The clippers were passed right down the middle, creating a large path of clear skin as the humming clippers shifted to a much higher tone. The two lovers collectively gasped, watching as Olivia propelled the clippers over the top of Laura’s head. Minuscule tufts of her blonde hair were raining down, littering the cape here and there as they were severed from the blonde’s head clean. 

Olivia was focused, keeping the clippers fervently in motion as she moved towards the sides to clean Laura’s head of hair. Carmilla was mesmerised- the front-row seat was definitely an absolute treat for her. It was one thing to be the one doing the shaving for the first time, but it felt like a much bigger spectacle when she was the one just watching her lover’s head be sheared completely clean. 

Laura watched as the patchy spots of hair on her head were completely clipped off, her smile growing ever wider as she saw her head become that clean slate she had not too long ago when Carmilla did it for her. She glanced to look at her lover, whose mouth was agape as she watched the process. She blew a kiss at the vampire, sneaking a wink. 

It didn’t take much for Olivia to finish up. She ran the clippers over Laura’s bare head a few more times, making sure Laura’s head was all a thorough #0 all over. “That’s the easy part done,” Olivia announced as she turned off the clippers. With the neck brush she dusted Laura’s head, the prickly bristles giving Laura the best tickles she ever felt on her head. “Now let’s get you prepped for the best part.” 

Olivia went back to the dresser, returning the clippers and the neck brush before searching for her other apparatus. Laura took the opportunity to take a hand out from under the cape to rub her head. “God, I miss how good and bare that felt,” she professed. 

“It’s only gonna feel a lot smoother, Creampuff,” Carmilla cheekily added. 

Before Laura could reply, Olivia had returned, wrapping a warm towel on the bald girl’s head. She tucked a dry towel at the back of Laura’s cape, then pulled out a straight razor which she began stropping on a piece of leather that hung by the side of the chair. 

After a few minutes she removed the towel on Laura’s head, then began thoroughly applying the shaving cream that came from the little machine in front. “Now, Laura- you’re gonna have to do me a really big favour and keep really still while I do this, yeah?”  
  
“No problem,” Laura affirmed, smiling excitedly for the most anticipated part of her shave. 

Olivia started from the top, expertly maneuvering the razor across the bald girl’s head. Laura quite enjoyed it- the razor blade made little _scrr scrr_ sounds as they went across her head, with Olivia taking short breaks here and there to wipe the blade on the dry towel. 

“Does it hurt?” Carmilla asked in a rather worried tone. 

“Not at all,” Laura answered, almost terrified that she was about to instinctively shake her head. “It almost feels like the head scratches you give.” Carmilla beamed, secretly jealous.

Slowly and precisely Olivia shaved the bald girl’s head clean, running the blade over foamy skin to leave behind a clear and smooth scalp. While it didn’t seem like much of a difference to Laura, Carmilla’s vampiric vision could detect how close it was to the scalp— how there was virtually no hair left sticking to the scalp. Carmilla was in awe at the barberette’s skill— how she methodically did her work without leaving as much as a nick on her lover’s head. Carmilla’s hand instinctively went to her own head, giving her own scalp little scratches with her nails, quietly imagining what it would feel like on her own head…

“And that’s you done!” Carmilla broke out of her daydream as Olivia announced. She gave Laura’s head on last wipe with the towel before undoing the cape from the back. She used the neck brush to give the bald girl one last dusting on the head as she removed the cape, flicking off the little tufts of hair onto the ground. “Go ahead, have a feel.” 

Laura looked completely ecstatic as she explored her smooth head, enjoying how easily it felt for her hand to simply glide over the scalp. “I love it!” Laura never knew she would ever say such a line about her head being clean shaven. “Come have a feel Carms,” Laura offered as she got out of the chair and bent her head towards the vampire. 

Carmilla’s hand apprehensively went to her lover’s head, and she couldn’t help but gasp. “That’s _so_ smooth, oh my god.” Her fascination went wild as her hand traversed her lover’s head, enjoying every bit of that smoothness on the girl’s scalp. “It’s almost like touching the skin on any other part of your body.” 

“Well I’m gonna make sure it touches _every_ part of your body tonight,” Laura whispered in the vampire’s ear, seductively pecking it. Carmilla had chills just listening to Laura sweet talk her like that, but she felt a little indebted. “I’ll go pay up then we can go back and have some fun.”

Laura headed straight for her purse, though her head was still in the clouds. As she dug her purse to fish out her wallet, her free hand was still stuck like glue to her head— traversing every inch of her free skin over and over again. She didn’t think having it shaved smooth would make such a difference, but there she was completely absorbed in the new feeling, oblivious to the conversation going on behind her. She got out a fifty, eager to tip Olivia so generously for her amazing service. She turned, ready to pay the woman.

Then froze.

Carmilla was now in the chair— the barber chair. “Of course I have time for one more.” Laura heard the barberette say to her lover, not wasting a second as she flung the cape over the vampire’s sleek body. Carmilla looked at Laura through the reflection of the mirror, giving a sneaky wink as Olivia clipped the back of the cape. Carmilla gave a slight nudge of her head, gesturing for Laura to have the spectator seat in the other barber chair. Laura didn’t know what to expect- she simply acceded, going over to sit as she was about to behold a scene that she had no idea how it was going to unfold. 

“What will it be for you today?” Olivia asked.

Laura could see a hint of trepidation on the vampire’s face, but it was quickly washed over with her confident smirk. “Same as her, please,” Carmilla instructed, sneaking a glance at her lover. “Nice and smooth.”

“Certainly,” Olivia affirmed, to which Laura was taken aback at how unflinching the barberette was— almost as if she shaved girls to the skin every other day.

“Are you sure about this?” Laura asked her lover as Olivia went to retrieve the apparatus for the first part.

“I got jealous,” Carmilla simply stated. “I wanna have that smooth feeling all over my head too- it’s addictive.”

“But you have a _lot_ of hair.” Laura reached out to run her fingers through Carmilla’s ebony tresses that reached a little past her shoulders, perhaps for the last time.

“It’s hair— it’ll grow back. Besides, for a vampire like me that’s lived for such a long time, I think it’s a shame if I didn’t get to shave my head at least once, don’t you think?” Carmilla shot back with a shrug. “And what better time to do so than to be a baldy with my favourite girl.”

Laura couldn’t help but blush, awestruck at her lover’s words. Before she could even add on, Olivia was already back in position, the maroon clippers deftly wielded in her hands. With her other hand she held a comb, running the teeth through Carmilla’s black tresses for what could be the last time in a long while. She parted the black sea in the centre, making sure the ends of her tresses were all pushed forward from behind towards the front where they sat on the cape. “You ready?” Olivia asked.

“Yep.”

_Pop. Bzzzz_

Carmilla was completely composed, sitting up straight at attention as the clippers were brought towards her front hairline, dead centre where the parting was made. 

_Bzzzaaaa_

Laura’s mouth went agape, not believing her eyes as that clear path was made from the first pass, going from the forehead all the way to the back of the head.

_Bzzaaaa, bzzzaaaa, bzzzaaaa_

Olivia didn’t waste a single moment as she propelled the clippers expertly, and the two lovers watched as Carmilla’s beloved black tresses fell in a flurry down onto the striped cape. With each pass a clump of the vampire’s locks were severed, joining the others in a mound of hair that gathered in Carmilla’s lap. There was something so ruthless yet calm about the way Olivia worked, with a hand firmly guiding the clippers through the locks of black hair while the other simply held up the wire from the device. It didn’t take long for her to finish the top section, leaving Carmilla with a sort of balding look while her lap was already covered in so much of her hair. 

When Olivia started on the sides she began using her free hand to grab each lock, running the clippers up to calmly shave a sizeable section before casually tossing the bundles of hair she just set free in front of Carmilla— rinsing and repeating every time she made a pass. Carmilla gawked startledly at her own reflection, still in disbelief that it was all happening so quickly right in front of her. Part of her was thrilled, while the other half of her was still petrified at the spectacle. 

Laura watched attentively from the spectator seat, seeing Carmilla go through the fate she had gone through months ago, albeit in a much more professional fashion. While it was wistful watching her lover’s hair being severed in such quick fashion, she had to admit there was something so sexy about watching her lose all of her hair to such a menacing woman. Laura couldn’t help but admire Olivia’s focused resolve- there was hardly a smile or hint of emotion while she worked, almost as if she was used to doing this. If she had to take a crack, she was secretly enjoying shearing Carmilla to the bone. 

With one last pass, the back and sides were shorn to stubble as Olivia unceremoniously tossed the huge chunk of hair on Carmilla’s lap. The two lovers were in absolute awe— seeing the vampire with a bald pate was certainly the oddest thing to behold. Laura loved it— she loved how her lover’s features were so accentuated, how her dark eyes lit up against the paleness without any distraction whatsoever, and how those red lips were splendidly contrasted now. 

“That’s the hard part done,” Olivia eventually announced, turning off the clippers after making the last few passes over Carmilla’s head. She got out the same neck brush, giving a good dusting on the vampire’s head which thoroughly tickled her. “Now time to make you smooth.”

As Olivia went to retrieve her shaving tools, Carmilla anxiously turned to face her lover to see Laura with her biggest grin. “You look _so_ hot,” Laura couldn’t help but say. “I never thought you without hair could be so sexy.” Carmilla blushed, still feeling a little insecure at how drastic her loss of hair looked on her. “Touch it— it helps kick the reality in,” Laura suggested from experience.

Carmilla slowly got a hand out from under the cape, watching as a few locks slid off the cape from the force. Carefully her cold fingers went to her scalp. _Gasp_ . There was no explaining it— the surreal feeling of the tiniest, microscopic pricks of hair that jutted out of her scalp that she was feeling on her fingers. It was one thing to feel it on her lover, but now knowing this exact sensation was on her head felt even better. “ _Holy shit_ ,” Carmilla let out, her eyes closing from the satisfaction.

Before she could get completely carried away, Olivia returned with the shaving tools. Just as she did with Laura, she first wrapped the hot towel on the vampire’s head, letting the snug warmth hug her scalp so tenderly. Olivia tucked in the dry towel behind the vampire’s neck, then got her trusty straight razor out to sharpen. After letting the warmth set in, she removed the towel and began applying the shaving cream. 

“You’re gonna have to keep real still for me, alright?” 

“Mm,” Laura heard Carmilla mutter.

_Scrr scrr scrr_

Olivia took her time with careful strokes of the razor, making sure to get as close to the roots of the hair while making sure she didn’t nick her customer. Laura watched the process in admiration, appreciating the detail and precision that Olivia took in shaving her lover. She’d never imagine anything remotely close to the scene that had been unraveling in front of her to ever happen in her life, and she was thankful that such a brilliant woman like Olivia could orchestrate such an event so well. 

It didn’t take long for Olivia to finish up on Carmilla, taking the time to check each section for loose stubble before giving a final wipe of the vampire’s head. “And that’s you bald and smooth,” Olivia announced proudly as she undid the cape from the back, taking a good moment to dust off the cape dramatically for both lovers to watch the gigantic pile of hair drop to the floor with a thud. 

Carmilla stayed in the chair for a good while, turning her head this way and that way to get the full view of her new and shiny pate. She lived for centuries, yet this was the first time she could actually see the skin on her scalp so clearly. Her hands slowly reached up, taking in that divine sensation she didn’t know she had been missing and so secretly been desiring. 

“I should’ve done this _so_ much sooner,” she half-moaned, stopping at a breath to make sure she didn’t get ahead of herself. “I should’ve done this when I was shaving you the first time,” Carmilla guiltily confessed to her lover.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. What’s done is done— we’ve made it through. You wanting to shave your head with me here already makes me feel so blessed to have you,” Laura said, going up to embrace her lover in the chair. Her hands slowly crept up, feeling carmilla’s smooth head. She stifled a gasp, tingles reverberating like electricity through her.

“Thank you so much for doing this for us today, Olivia,” Laura turned to face the barberette, handing her the fifty. “Keep the change— you’ve done us a great favour today.”

“Thank _you_ for the experience. If you two ever want you can always come back for a touch-up— if you feel like keeping it the way it is. Otherwise, I still do cut women’s hair if you’re ever looking for a trim or a shape-up when your hair’s grown out more,” Olivia gratefully accepted the money. “But to be really honest, I think the two of you look _really_ cute bald.”

*

They could hardly contain themselves on the way home, crashing right onto their bed in a flurry of lust as they sought to undo their clothes. For once the both of them felt truly naked in bed- not a single strand of hair to hide any doubt or emotion between them as they made love. Carmilla had never felt so much passion with another person, and never in her immortal existence had she ever thought losing all her hair would spark something so intoxicating inside of her. 

The fight against cancer was over, and in the wildfire of a night where they had stripped everything off of themselves, the vampire and the human felt reborn. 


End file.
